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The Bare Earth

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Why we love it

We love how these maps allow you to see through the thin layer of trees and vegetation that hides eons of natural processes at work. Many of Earth's processes occur on a time scale much longer than a human lifetime, making it difficult to gain a comprehensive understanding of them. What if we could lift the veil of time to see evidence accumulated over thousands of years? These maps reveal both events of short duration with multiple repeat appearances in the same area and single, long-term events working at a glacial pace. You can see something different each time you view them. 

Why it works

These maps work because they depict the bare earth using colour, contrast and layouts that uncover the evidence revealed by lidar, no matter the natural process. The swipe tool lets you easily pull a blanket of vegetation and trees back from the bare earth like a geologist reading the land to see the formations hidden underneath. Each map in the story has purpose, made clear by subtle colour choices and hillshading. This story map won First Place in Esri's 2018 Storytelling with Maps Contest.

Important steps

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Requirements

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Tips and tricks

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